


Not So Young Anymore

by paradoxicalbrain



Category: The Caster Chronicles - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Gen, Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradoxicalbrain/pseuds/paradoxicalbrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nineteen moons are for my husband-to-be.<br/>The one who came back.<br/>And stayed for the longest time.</p><p>All the other moons are for the man next to me.<br/>The one who understands me.<br/>The one who loved another as much as he loves me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not So Young Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Not particularly good if you ship Lena/Ethan too hard. I'm not very fond of Ethan, so this portrayal of him might not please everybody, even if this isn't exactly a bad/terrible one. - Also: mild spoilers of the last book.

They didn't think things through.

As time passed, Lena could see Ethan aging. It was normal at first, she too became an adult. Their passion worn off, but she still cared about him. Even after all these years, they did share some interests. Besides, Ethan's eyes were still filled with adoration (always in love with her).

 

Link was the first one to notice. He stopped aging before the others did; at thirty, he looked twenty-five. Ridley said that was fantastic. "You're not as mortal as you look after all, Hot Rod" she teased. Few days later they understood what it meant to the others.

 

Ethan and Liv had aged. He was the only one who did not see this coming, that little miscalculation. _How old is Macon again?_ Lena didn't have the heart to tell him.

"He will send you away... Or worse." Liv warmed, she didn't wear her hair in braids anymore. Lena nodded, gazing at John's fingers interlocked with Liv's. Lena couldn't understand why he wouldn't just turn Liv into whatever Link was; unless, of course, she didn't want to.

"He won't accept it easily" John added, staring deeply into her eyes "Nobody who's beaten death twice would".

"I was the one who brought him back on the first time, with some of Amma's help." she said impatiently, people seemed to keep forgetting that.

Liv smiled, agreeing. After this, they left. The risk of bumping into Ethan wasn't worth it.

 

At forty, Link's visits became rare. "Ridley and he are touring around Europe again" Lena said. Ethan believed her, except he knew the real reason for the growing abyss between him and his best friend. He saw it everyday when he looked at his wife. One day, Ethan broke all the mirrors at home, Lena did not fix them.

"Why couldn't both your eyes be green?" he asked "Or another color entirely?"

"That used to be the reason why you loved me" she complained, getting out of their bedroom as soon as she could. On that day she cried on Liv's arms, who looked old enough to be her mother now, in case they they were anything alike. When John arrived, she decided it was time to leave. On her way out, he stopped her, gently holding her arm.

"Whatever he said, Ethan doesn't mean it. Guy is just hurt".

"So am I".

They looked a each other for the longest time, a silent understanding through what was happening.

"At least Liv isn't turning against you" she said before leaving.

"Yeah, but I wish she would agree to do something about it" he shouted. Lena looked at him, a sad smile on her face and a wave of goodbye on her hand.

 

Five years later, Liv died. The shock was terrible for all. A rare type of cancer found only in the Caster world. She didn't loose any of her hair, died peacefully in her sleep. The funeral was in England, but the soft rain had nothing to do with it. Lena cried silently under her umbrella. For the first time in years, Ethan held her hand.

Ridley and Link were there too, among few others. John was devastated, sobbing like a lost child. Rid hugged him for some minutes, Lena's hug was longer.

"I'm not going back to Gatlin" he whispered to her. Lena's golden and green eyes weren't surprised at all.

"Stay with Rid and Link for a while, will you?"

He agreed to her relief. Ethan shook his hand, opening his mouth to say something, but closing it again.

"I'm so sorry" was all that came out from him. John didn't mind it, they never had been the greatest friends anyway, he knew Ethan was suffering too.

 _Not a single one of them aged_ , Ethan said through kelt later. _Not even Link and he's my age_.

Lena didn't answer, she simply held his hand tighter.

 

One year later, he left. Packed his things and went back to his childhood house. Lena didn't even try to stop him.

 

Ridley and Link came back as soon as she called. They stayed at Ravewood with uncle M. Link tried talking to Ethan almost everyday.

"You know what I think that should be done" Ridley said during dinner. Link wasn't fond of the idea, neither was Macon. Lena kept on eating.

"John wouldn't agree with it" Link argued "He didn't do it for Liv".

"She didn't want to" Lena interrupted.

"It's not wise" Macon said "You're not so young anymore, can't keep making hushed foolish decisions".

"Either way, it should be up to Ethan, not us" Link frowned.

"I'm not going to give him the idea" Lena said at last, standing up "If he wants it, he'll think of it".

They all fell silent. Lena took a good look on all of their faces, only Macon was staring at her.

"Do you even still love him?" Link asked suddenly "You would have done anything for him, but now..."

"We're not teenagers!" her voice was loud, the lighting flicked "Ethan Wate can take care of himself".

On her way out, Lena heard her cousin's words.

"How could you? Can't you see she's hurting too?"

But the truth was, Lena wasn't so sure of the answer for Link's question anymore.

 

A week later Ethan showed up, followed by an unhappy Link. Ethan was smiling, a spark of hope on his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Lena! I've been so stupid when the solution was in front of me all his time!"

Lena panicked, staring from Ethan to Link, then back to Ethan.

"What are you talking about?" she felt dizzy. Ethan came near her, arms ready to take her in. "The Ethan I knew wouldn't want that".

"What?" he stepped back "We need this Lena".

"No, _you_ need it. You've never liked the idea of being mortal and then you resented me for not being one!"

"How can you say this? I love you!"

The shouting made Ridley appear at the door. Link was clearly uncomfortable in there, she went out to his side.

"Don't you love me anymore?"

The three of them stared at Lena. Ridley noticed how vulnerable her cousin was, so she held Link's arm and dragged him away.

"I don't love what you've became".

" _Old?_ "

" _No! Bitter!_ " a thunder could be heard from a distance "It's like you've never loved me for me, _all of me!_ "

"You knew this would happen?"

"And I've loved you anyway".

"Do you have any idea of how ridiculous we look now? Imagine in few years! Imagine when I'm sixty, seventy, eighty!"

"Why do you care so much?"

It started pouring. Ethan eyes went up, dark clouds were amounting over them. "Why don't you?"

She didn't answer. Lena simply stepped back inside, closing the door on his face.

 

John waited for Ethan, he knew Link would give him his new address. It wasn't in Gatlin nor England, both places made him think of Liv too much. They sat in front of each other in John's new living-room.

"Never took you for a New York type of guy" Ethan admitted.

"I can disappear here" he smiled "I want to do that many days lately".

"Hm, Liv would have liked this place"

"Yeah, I bet she would have".

"You knew her better than me, in the end".

John waited for the request in an awkward silence. Ethan looked much older than him now, wrinkles and everything, even if they were practically the same age.

"Would you change me?"

"I don't know how"

"You've changed Link"

"That was then. We don't know if it would work now"

"You're not even willing to try?"

"Liv wouldn't like that"

"It's not for her, it's for me"

"I can't, Ethan"

"Can't or won't?"

"Both"

" _Because Liv didn't want it for herself?_ "

"Because it's dangerous and irresponsible!" his voice became louder, following Ethan's tone " _We're not kids anymore_."

"Well, you all look pretty young to me"

John stared at him shocked, hands closing in fists. Both men were standing.

"If I were you, I'd be spending my time next to the one I love instead of refusing to accept my reality"

"I don't think she loves me" Ethan's voice was tired "Not anymore"

"It's not hard to see why"

"Well, thanks for nothing, John Breed" the bitterness showed in his voice.

After Ethan left, John called Lena to ask if she was ok.

 

At sixty, he started using kelt with Lena again. Ethan apologized daily; they slowly became friends again, except Ethan wouldn't let her see him. She found out that Link and he exchanged messages regularly and that he told John how sorry he was.

When they turned eighty, Ethan told Lena he was sick. They spent the last days of his mortal life together. He joked about how he looked like her grandfather. Lena laughed, kissing gently his forehead.

On the funeral, a strong storm was falling, until John held her hand. She smiled; Lena might have not fallen in love with John, but maybe Josephine Duchannes could. Liv probably knew this all along.

"Sixteen moons are for my first love.  
The one I almost lost.

Seventeen moons are for my valentine.  
The one that almost got away.

Eighteen moons are for my beloved.  
The one who was sacrificed.

Nineteen moons are for my husband-to-be.  
The one who came back  
and stayed for the longest time.

All the other moons are for the man next to me.  
The one who understands me.  
The one who loved another as much as he loves me."


End file.
